Harrison Ford will receive the prestigious SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards on March 1, 2026, for his iconic, decades-long career as an actor in some of the industry’s most iconic movies and humanitarian. He is the 61st recipient of the union’s highest award. Harrison will officially receive it on 1 March 2026, at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards.
“I am deeply honoured to be chosen as this year’s recipient of the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award,” Harrison Ford said in a statement. “To be acknowledged by my fellow actors means a great deal to me. I’ve spent most of my life on film sets, working alongside incredible actors and crews, and I’ve always felt grateful to be part of this community.”
Other recipients of this award have been Betty White, Jane Fonda, Sidney Poitier, Elizabeth Taylor, James Earl Jones, Mary Tyler Moore, and Robert de Niro.
This isn’t the only lifetime achievement award Harrison has earned in his career. Harrison also won the 2024 Critics’ Choice Career Achievement Award, the 2002 Golden Globes Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the 2000 AFI Life Achievement Award. He has also received an Honorary César, an Honorary Palme d’Or, and he was honoured as a Disney Legend in 2024.
The popular actor has been active in the industry since 1964. However, it took him some time to get a footing in the industry, and he resorted to carpentry to support his family. It was his performance in George Lucas’ American Graffiti (1973) that put him on the casting list of Hollywood. It also led to George casting him as Han Solo in the epic space saga Star Wars (1977).
He is now one of the highest-grossing actors in the world. Furthermore, he is regarded as a cinematic cultural icon.
Here are Harrison Ford’s most iconic roles in his seven-decade-long career, and where to watch them in Australia.
Han Solo
Star Wars (1977-2015)
One of Harrison Ford’s first roles, and arguably his most iconic, is that of the wisecracking smuggler with a secret heart of gold, Han Solo.
His charm and roguish swagger made Han Solo one of cinema’s most beloved heroes. He returned to the series for the 2015 sequel series, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, to much acclaim.
And for the Star Wars fans…Han shot first.
Indiana Jones
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Temple of Doom (1984), Last Crusade (1989), Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), and Dial of Destiny (2023)
In this film franchise, Harrison’s second major film series, he stars as intrepid archaeologist Dr Henry “Indiana” Jones Jr, a whip-cracking adventurer who races villains to recover powerful ancient artefacts — from the Ark of the Covenant to the Holy Grail. His blend of wit, bravery and academic smarts became a defining action-hero archetype.
Sir Sean Connery joined the franchise in the 1989 flick, The Last Crusade, as Indiana Jones ‘ father, Professor Henry Jones Sr.
Rick Deckard
Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
In this now-classic sci-fi noir, Harrison Ford plays Rick Deckard, a retired “blade runner”, aka a detective tasked with hunting down replicants (androids indistinguishable from humans) in a dystopian future Los Angeles. The film’s visual style and philosophical depth have made it a cultural touchstone.
Harrison reprised his role for the long-awaited sequel, starring alongside Ryan Gosling.
Detective John Book
Witness (1985)
Harrison Ford’s sole Academy Award nomination for Best Actor was for his role in the thriller Witness. In this acclaimed thriller and romance, Harrison plays Philadelphia detective John Book, who goes undercover in an Amish community after a young boy who witnessed a murder and needs protection.
Dr Richard Kimble
The Fugitive (1993)
Harrison Ford delivers one of his most thrilling performances as Dr Richard Kimble, a surgeon wrongly accused of murdering his wife.
On the run from the law, he pursues the real killer while evading a relentless U.S. Marshal. The film is a high-tension chase drama classic.
President James Marshall
Air Force One (1997)
Harrison Ford portrays a resolute United States President who must fight to save his family and staff when terrorists, led by Gary Oldman, hijack Air Force One. It’s a thrilling, action-packed showcase of Harrison’s commanding presence.
Jack Ryan
Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994)
Tom Clancy’s CIA analyst Jack Ryan was brought to life by Harrison Ford in this action thriller. After foiling an assassination attempt made by the Irish terrorist organisation (the IRA) on the British Royal family, Ryan and his family become targets of a revenge plot.
In its sequel, CIA Analyst Jack Ryan is drawn into covert operations against a powerful Colombian drug cartel, uncovering corruption and cover-ups as he tries to do the right thing amidst political pressure.
Jacob Dutton
1923 (2022–2025)
In the Paramount+ drama 1923, Harrison Ford stars as Jacob Dutton, the rugged patriarch of the Dutton family — the same ranching dynasty at the centre of the Yellowstone universe.
He and his wife, Cara (played by Helen Mirren), raise their nephews, including Spencer Dutton, as their own, embedding Jacob firmly at the heart of both the family and the story’s emotional core.
Dr Paul Rhoades
Shrinking (2023–present)
In this comedy-drama about a group of therapists navigating grief, life and personal issues, Harrison Ford plays Dr Paul Rhoades, a wisecracking, blunt senior therapist newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
His performance earned him his first-ever Emmy nomination at age 83.
